Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 18, Issue 2, Article 18 (Dec., 2017) Dumcho WANGDI, Paisan KANTHANG and Monamorn PRECHARATTANA Development of a hands-on model embedded with guided inquiry laboratory to enhance students’ understanding of law of mechanical energy conservation Contents Next

Development of a hands-on model embedded with guided inquiry laboratory to enhance students’ understanding of law of mechanical energy conservation

 

Dumcho WANGDI¹, Paisan KANTHANG² and Monamorn PRECHARATTANA^1,*

¹Institute for Innovative Learning, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, THAILAND
¹Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10300, THAILAND

*Corresponding author's E-mail: mprecharattana@hotmail.co.th

Received 11 Aug., 2017
Revised 31 Dec., 2017

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Contents

• Abstract
• Introduction
  • Research questions
• Literature Review
  • Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation
  • Previous studies on Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation
  • Guided Inquiry Laboratory 
  • Hands-on Learning
  • Level of Understanding
• Methodology
  • Developed learning laboratory
  • Developed hands-on model
  • Instruments and data collection
  • Validity and reliability 
• Results
  • a) Analysis of CETMEC
  • b) Analysis of LAQMEC
• Discussion
• Conclusion
  • Acknowledgment
• References

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Abstract

This paper attempts to investigate the understanding of the law of mechanical energy conservation using a guided inquiry approach. A simple hands-on model was constructed and used to demonstrate the law of mechanical energy conservation. A total of 30 grade ten students from one of the middle secondary schools in western Bhutan participated in this pilot study. A single group pretest-posttest design was used. The participants were selected by purposive sampling method. The means of the pretest and posttest were determined to find the understanding of the law of mechanical energy conservation. The attitude survey questionnaire was used to explore the students’ attitude towards the guided inquiry laboratory teaching using the hands-on model. A paired sample t-test showed that there was a statistical significant difference in the means of pretest (M = 13.43, SD = 3.766) and posttest (M = 21.67, SD = 2.893) at t(29) = -10.739, p =.000, α =.05 indicating an improvement due to the treatment. The attitudes of the students towards the developed learning unit were also found positive.

Keywords: Physics, the law of mechanical energy conservation, hands-on model, guided inquiry laboratory, Bhutan.